The Biggest Family in the World
by runyoucleverboyandremember4321
Summary: Shortly after the Battle of New York, Natasha finds out she is pregnant. How will the Avengers react to having a child introduced into their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! runyoucleverboyandremember4321 here. The character limit is apparently limited to 4, although there are more characters not listed above. So I'm just going to to ahead and list them here: Tony S., Bruce B., Thor O., Pepper P., Phil C., Maria H., Nick F. I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes, I don't yet have a Beta. Also, this is going to be an ongoing thing(hopefully). I'm posting the first chapter for now to see what people think before posting more. Anyways, please read and reviews are much appreciated. Thank You!  
**

"CLINT GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, NOW!" Clint winced as Natasha's voice reached his ears. He sighed and stood up from the communal dining room. Tony bunched up his napkin and tossed it into the trash.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you Barton." He said toasting him with his glass of whiskey. Pepper whacked him round' the head and smiled at Clint.

"Go to her Clint, before she –you know- actually does kill you." She winced as she regarded her crude ending. Clint glared at Tony once before running out of the room. The elevator ride seemed to take an eternity. By the time he got to their shared floor, she was screaming again.

"CLINT!" He rubbed his temples and broke into a run.

"COMING!" He barreled into their bedroom to find Natasha sitting on the floor. She was staring at something in her hands.

"Hey Tasha' could you yell any louder? I think you broke the PA system." She turned her face upwards and sent him the 'death stare'. He flinched before noticing her eyes glistened with tears. All the humor dropped from his face as he silently slid down next to her.

"Hey, you okay?" She shook her head and showed him what she was holding. He gazed down at the plastic stick in her hands and his brow furrowed. He gently eased it out of her fingers and stared. Clint looked at her, green eyes meeting brown. She looked scared, and unsure and confused.

"Clint, I'm pregnant." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

'_I got that.'_ He grumbled to himself, letting silence wash over them. Clint tried to grasp the idea of being a father. Could they really do it? Raise a child? He never pictured them being parents, what with their jobs and all. He looked at her, her eyes emanating sadness.

"Tasha', we're going to be parents." He muttered stating the obvious.

"That's just it Clint. What if we're not great parents? What if we fail to take care of them? We're constantly being called away on duty, our lives aren't exactly void of injury or danger, and it's all so…" She struggled for the word before sighing heavily. "Overwhelming. I don't know the first thing to caring for a child Barton. I didn't know my mom; don't have anyone to take advice from. I'm scared that I'll… fail." She let herself droop downwards like a dying plant, and didn't look up when Clint wrapped her in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. We're going to get through this together. Just to clarify things, we are keeping the baby, right?" Natasha blinked.

"Of course!" He shrugged.

"Just the way you were talking…" Natasha glared and punched him.

"Clint Barton just because I have no idea what I'm doing, doesn't mean I can't learn!" She snapped. He laughed and asked the question that had been bugging him.

"When should we tell the others?" He wondered out loud.

"Soon, not now." Natasha murmured. Clint kissed her forehead.

"You, Natasha Romanoff are going to be a great mother."

Downstairs, seven people still sat around a table playing cards.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Tony asked.

**So there you have it! Chapter one all new and shiny. What do you think? Should I continue? Please review!(Also, does anyone know how to do Author's notes on here?)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Clint grasped Natasha's hand as they descended towards the communal floor. A week after Natasha had told Clint the unexpected news; they had gone to SHIELD to confirm. They were in fact, having a child. Now the next hurdle to leap over was sharing the news with their friends. The doors to the elevators swished open revealing Coulson, Pepper, Fury and four very impatient superheroes. They all looked up when Clint and Natasha entered, smiles fading when they saw the anxious faces before them.

"What's wrong?" Pepper asked coming up to Natasha. Natasha shook her head forcefully.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong, you guys should probably sit though," she said, addressing the entire room. No one sat, but instead stared at the two assassins. Clint looked at Natasha and sighed. There was obviously no way out now.

"Guys," he began uncertainly. "I- we- don't freak out but," he stuttered. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Men," she grumbled to herself before cutting Clint off, the poor man still couldn't spit it out. "I'm pregnant," she announced and sat down unceremoniously on the couch. There was silence and seven pairs of eyes widened, seven mouths gaped like fish out of water. Then all calm was sucked out of Stark Towers.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

"I CALL GODFATHER!"

"Congrats!"

"NATASHA THIS IS WONDERFUL!"

"BUT I DO GET TO BE GODFATHER, RIGHT?!"

Clint grinned at Tony.

"Maybe, it's her call," he looked expectantly at Natasha. She glared at Tony.

"Absolutely not," she stated.

"WHAT?!"

"Oh please, you're a child yourself!"

"'Tasha, please?" Tony pleaded, giving her puppy dog eyes. Natasha mulled it over for a moment before shrugging.

"Maybe. I'll think about it Stark." Tony fist pumped the air and did a small happy dance.

"That means yes!" he whispered conspicuously to Steve. Steve rolled his eyes and ignored the comment- and the dance.

"So, boy or girl? Do you know?" he asked instead. Natasha smiled before answering.

"It's a girl."

Pepper beamed. "What will you name her?" she asked.

"Antonia." Tony butted in rudely. Natasha's smile melted into a frown.

"No."

"But-"

"I said no Stark!"

Fury cleared his throat. It was the first time the director had spoken. No one asked why he hadn't said a word prior to this, the answer was right in front of their eyes. He was disgruntled that his two top agents were having a child. Telling him they were getting married a year ago had been a burden in itself, now they were starting a family. The last thing Fury needed to hear, especially after the devastation caused to New York, was "I'm pregnant."

"Agent Romanoff, are you really going to keep this child?" he asked. Natasha looked thunderstruck.

"Yes!" she insisted. Fury frowned.

"Is this the best choice Natasha? Are you capable of looking after her?" Natasha leapt up from the couch, anger coursing through her veins.

"Are you implying I won't take care of my child? Are you expressing concern for me, or for yourself Fury? Scared of losing your top field operatives to an unborn child?" she demanded.

Coulson gave a nervous smile. "Um- I really think it would be best of we left now. There's lots of um, paperwork to do, coffee to make, procrastination needs, the usual. Congratulations," he told them before ushering a harried looking Fury out the door.


	3. Authors note and an apology

**Hello everyone! This is runyoucleverboyandremember4321. First off, I am so, so sorry I've not been updating this story! Things have gotten in the way (a.k.a. life) and there is much work. I've set a goal to attempt to put up two new chapters each Saturday or Sunday, and the next to should be coming soon. Sorry! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, etc. I was amazed at the response this got. Happy Holidays everyone!**

**-May**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! 24 followers wow! Anyways, I'm really, really sorry for the delayed updating, so here are four chapters as an apology. I've been busy and so has my beta, so there hasn't been much time to update. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited this, and a shout-out to Sandy-wmd for being my first reviewer. Enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR! **

Chapter Three

As Natasha entered her 8th month, the team seemed to be taking extra care when around the assassin. They never really let her out of their sights, making sure someone was always in the tower and pampering her until finally, she'd had enough. When Steve tried to convince her she couldn't make the 5.5 millisecond trip up the elevator she snapped.

"STOP IT! JUST, STOP! I'm not a child Rogers; I don't need a police escort everywhere I go! Now you and everyone in this freaking tower should just pick up your asses, walk in the opposite direction, and frickin leave me alone!" She snapped irritably. Steve's jaw dropped, taken aback by her sudden outburst. He slowly backed out, leaving the sulking woman to figure it out herself. Natasha sighed, why was everyone so damn worried? It wasn't like she was compromised; she didn't understand why they treated her like a ticking time bomb. She rubbed her temples.

_'No more__,'_ she thought to herself. The porcelain doll- or whatever they saw her as- was gone.

Natasha lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. She turned her head to the side and stared at Clint, rubbing her abdomen as small pricks of pain assaulted her insides. Oh what she wouldn't give for a _Go Fast!_ Bar right now. Yeah, that seemed like a good idea. The more Natasha thought about that little slice of heaven the more she wanted it. It was no longer a simple "want", it was a "need".

"Clint," she hissed. He stirred, but didn't wake. She kicked his side with some difficulty.

"CLINT!" She barked. He jumped up, eyes flying open.

"I'M UP! WHAZIT? IS IT TONY?! STARK I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Clint screamed, his vision blurred from sleep. Natasha sighed moodily and for a moment, forgot why she had woken him up in the first place.

"Stark's not here, if he was, he'd be on the floor bleeding. Anyways, I need you to run to the store," she explained. Clint rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was roughly 3:15 AM.

"Now?!" He whined. She nodded firmly. "But nothing is open!"

"The corner store about a block away from here," Natasha muttered. Clint propped himself upwards and stared at her.

"How do you know that?" He demanded. Natasha yawned and sank down into her pillow.

"I had Steve run out and get something when you were in Cypress," she murmured. Clint sighed and examined the situation at hand. He could go out and buy what she wanted, or he could be tending to a bruise on his cheek later. Clint thought for a moment before leaping out of bed and pulling on some clothes.

"What do you want?" He asked. She opened one eye to look at him.

"_Go Fast! _Bars," she replied, closing her eye. He gaped at her. She wanted him to buy a box of chocolate covered bars at 3:15 in the morning? Clint thought of his cheek, winced, closed his mouth and left. He jogged out of the tower and ran down the street.

Clint placed two boxes of _Go Fast!_ Bars on the counter. The cashier didn't look up as he scanned the items.

"Cravings?" He asked Clint. Clint nodded as he pulled out his wallet. He thanked the cashier as he grabbed the bag and ran out.

A month passed and Natasha's due date was coming up. However, instead of being in bed, she was wandering around the tower. Her belly had swollen to the size of a large beach ball and Tony now sported a black eye for calling her fat. Natasha winced as a ripple of pain spiked up her spine.

_'Two weeks,'_ she told herself. Two weeks until the baby was coming. She sat down with some difficulty and started as the baby kicked. Natasha rubbed her abdomen, and cried out. Something wasn't right.

"JARVIS! CALL CLINT!" She yelled, panic rising. It couldn't be happening now. She yelped as pain seared through her lower back.

"JARVIS!" She screamed.

"Clint is coming," the machine confirmed. Clint barreled into the communal area, took one look at Natasha and whipped out his Stark phone.

"Hello? Coulson? Sir, send an ambulance over now! I think Natasha's going into labor! " Clint squeaked into the phone, his voice going up three octaves. He hung up and raced off to find towels.

"You're going to be okay," he reassured her as he came back, worry written across his face.

* * *

**Well what do you think so far? Thanks for taking the time to read, and don't forget to review! HAPPY NEW YEAR! **

**-May :)**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Natasha breathed heavily as she was pushed into the delivery room. Clint ran adjacent to the gurney, clutching her hand.

"You'll be fine, you'll be fine," he repeated for both himself and Natasha. He gave her a supporting smile as the doctor came in, gloves snapping on. Natasha turned as pale as the scrubs she was wearing and gripped Clint's hand. He winced as she crushed his hand.

"Okay, Mrs. Romanoff, I'm going to need you to push now!" The doctor ordered.

"You did it!" Clint whispered, brushing a limp strand of hair away from Natasha's face. She offered him a weak smile and closed her eyes, exhausted. One hour. An hour of hell she never needed to experience again.

"Mrs. Romanoff," the doctor acknowledged. She looked up as he handed her a small bundle, smiling the whole time. Natasha couldn't hold back the tears that followed. In her arms, she held her child. Clint gazed down into the endearing face of his daughter and smiled proudly.

"She's beautiful," he said, voicing the thoughts in her mind.

"She has your smile," Natasha choked out. Sure enough, the baby was smiling, something unnatural at birth. She had a charisma about her that echoed Clint's mischievous one.

"Yeah, but she has your looks," Clint pointed out. Sure enough, the baby had a small layer of red fuzz on her head, and starling deep green eyes. The proud parents handed their baby to a nurse as Natasha was wheeled into a room. The nurse handed Clint the baby.

"You have some visitors," she told them. The door burst open to reveal their team, all smiles and wet eyes.

"Oh, she's beautiful!" Pepper cooed, as she approached the bed. Tony crossed his arm and examined the sleeping child.

"Looks just like you Widow!" He remarked, grinning. Clint smiled.

"That's what I said."

"Did you decide who's going to be godfather?" Steve asked. Natasha sighed.

"Tony, unfortunately," Natasha said.

"YES- wait did you say unfortunately?"

"What's her name?" Bruce asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Anastasia Maria Barton," Natasha answered, stroking her daughter's cheek.

Thor beamed. "It fits her perfectly," he declared.

Three days later Natasha was cleared and released from the hospital. When they arrived at the tower, Natasha smiled at the little bundle in Clint's arms.

"Welcome home, малютка, Natasha whispered in Russian. "We'll promise to try and keep things as normal for you as possible."

Clint snorted. "As normal as it can get with the world's mightiest heroes, employees from a super-secret government agency, and two master assassins as parents,"

Natasha laughed and batted at his arm.

"Touché Barton, touché."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: The GIF mentions come from things I've seen on Tumblr. Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

A month had passed since Natasha had come back from the hospital, and along with that came the hardships of being a parent. Anastasia, or Ana as they had frequented to calling her seemed to have inherited Clint's sass and Natasha's resistance as well.

"How do you do this again?" Clint asked as he struggled to change Ana's diaper. Natasha sighed as she walked around, gathering her weapons. She was officially off maternity leave, and Fury had jumped at the opportunity to send her back out into the field.

"Really? It's been a month!" She said in disbelief. Clint looked sheepish and gave her puppy dog eyes.

"Please 'Tasha, can you do this?" He begged.

"Clint, my flight leaves in an hour."

"Please?" Natasha sighed, walking over. In several, quick motions she had wrapped Ana up and deposited the old one. Scooping up the infant she bounced her up and down, trying to sooth the whimpering child. Clint gaped, convinced she had some sort of magical power.

"How did you do that?!" He demanded. Natasha shrugged and shouldered her bag. He tapped a button on his Stark-pad and showed the screen to Natasha. On the tablet was a GIF set of the Duke of Weaseltown, from _Frozen_, gasping and hissing, _Witchcraft!"_ Natasha smacked Clint on the head.

"Look, just because you and Tony saw _Frozen_ last week, doesn't mean it gives you the right to pull a GIF or meme anytime you want!" Clint swiped the screen and showed her the GIF.

It was Elsa singing, _"No right, no wrong, no rules for me!" _Natasha glared.

"Clint," she warned. He pulled up yet another GIF, one of Olaf the Snowman that was obviously captioned. It read, _"I don't give a fuck."_ Natasha wacked Clint and handed him Ana.

"Here, you're putting her down for her nap," she ordered. "I have to go. I love you," she said, pulling him down for a kiss. She kissed Ana on her forehead and smiled.

"Be good for your dad, малютка," she whispered.

Clint watched as Natasha walked out the door. He looked down at Ana's face, her green eyes scanning the room. After about five minutes, she had started wailing, and Clint was convinced babies were equipped with a mother detector. He rocked her in his arms, and hummed a lullaby in his attempts to soothe her. He sighed in relief when she finally fell asleep, and he set her down gently in her crib.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered kissing her cheek.

"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!" Tony screeched. Clint winced and tried to calm the billionaire down.

"Shh, you'll wake Ana!" He said frantically. He had just put her down for her nap and that in itself was a difficult task.

Tony collapsed on the couch, panic clearly etched throughout his face.

"Barton, do you really trust me to look after your child?"

Clint glared. "Hey, you are godfather!"

"But me?!"

"Oh good, you're finally realizing you're still a child!"

"I didn't say that!"

"Oh believe me, it was there."

Tony scowled and crossed his arms. Clint sighed, exasperated.

"Look, I need to take Steve Christmas shopping, Thor is away on Asgard, and Bruce is away in India, helping with the plague. You're the only person here!"

Tony sighed, mulling over the situation at hand.

"Why can't he go by himself?" Clint bit his lip.

"He wants me to come because, he's looking for a gift for Darcy," he said quietly. Tony's face took on a slightly amused visage. It was no secret that the soldier was dating Jane's friend. Well, at first it had been, then Tony had caught Steve sneaking out when he thought no one was in the tower, and Bruce had accidentally walked in on them kissing.

"Oh, tell him to get something nice, maybe something with Iron Man on it," Tony offered.

"Tony…"

"Fine, it doesn't have to be me, it can be a Captain America thing."

"Tony, he wants to buy her a ring," Clint butted in. Tony stopped talking and looked at Clint.

"Oh," he murmured.

"Yeah," Clint said.

"Do you think he's ready? I mean he only just figured out how to screenshot things on his phone."

"Tony, he's getting married, not hotwiring the next New Year's ball," Clint pointed out.

"Fine, I'll do it! Go, I've got Ana!" Tony sighed. Clint smiled and walked away to find Steve.

"Thanks Tony," he called over his shoulder.

"No problem."

Tony settled into the couch and flicked the baby monitor on. He sighed and thought of the ring _he_ had bought, sitting in his sock drawer. He smiled to himself, imagining what Pepper's face might look like when she saw it. His fantasies were driven from his mind by Ana's piercing cries. Tony sighed and ambled into the elevator, heading up to Clint and Natasha's floor. He ran into their bedroom and picked up Ana. He would have to remember to start furnishing the nursery.

"Shh, Uncles Tony's here," he soothed. Tony's mind drifted to other thoughts.

_'I wonder if I'd be cut out for kids?'_ He thought to himself. He never saw himself as a father, he…wasn't really good with kids. Not in the way Steve, Bruce and even Thor were. Clint, he'd always pictured the two assassins having children, but him and Pepper? He looked over to find that Ana had drooled all over his shoulder.

_'Maybe,'_ He thought.

Clint walked outside to find Steve already waiting for him. The man seemed even more anxious than Clint had believed, and looked like he was on a sugar-high.

"Hey," he greeted. Steve nodded and walked over. "You ready?"

Steve looked at Clint like he was a madman as he hailed a cab. They climbed aboard and Clint immediately regretted asking.

"Clint I feel like I'm going to wet myself," Steve muttered. "And don't tell me it's just a ring, because it's much more than that. What if she doesn't like it, Clint? What if she doesn't like it?!" Steve asked.

"Steve, panicking," Clint hinted slightly.

"I KNOW!" Steve shouted.

"Everything alright back there?" The cabbie asked. Clint leaned forward.

"Yeah, he's uh…" he died off as Steve butted in.

"I'm going to buy a ring for my girlfriend," he said. The cabbie whistled.

"I hear ya' buddy. I remember being in the exact same position twenty years ago. Don't stress about it, pick one that you think will call out to her. I'm sure your friend here can help you," he said.

"Thanks," Steve replied as they pulled to a stop.

"No problem, you're going to be fine," the cabbie reassured him. Clint paid the man and they stepped onto the bustling sidewalk.

"Macy's?" Steve asked looking at the largest department store in Manhattan. Clint grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yup, they've got a jewelry department on the ground floor. Pick out something nice," he told him. They wound their way across to the doors, where Christmas displays were already up and running in the massive windows. As they walked past an interactive display, Steve watched with interest.

"How does that work?" He asked. Clint shrugged.

"Honestly? I've no idea," he replied. They pushed past the revolving doors and Steve stopped.

"Oh my gosh," he breathed looking up. The place was nine floors high, covered an entire avenue, had restaurants and snack shops, and two Starbucks. White marble columns dotted the glistening floors.

"It can have that effect on people," Clint commented regarding Steve's shocked expression. "Haven't you been here before?" He asked, confused. Clint knew enough of Steve's history, to know he had lived in Brooklyn. Steve shrugged and looked down at Clint.

"I was the scrawny kid in the background; the one who people believed wouldn't amount to much, and would die from an asthma attack. I spent most of my time in Brooklyn with Bucky and trying to apply for the war, and then the whole Erskine fiasco happened," he died off. Clint nodded curtly, deciding to leave their conversation where it stood. They wound their way down the stairs where rows of display cases offered mounds of jewelry to potential customers.

"Well go on," Clint prodded. Steve walked up to the counter and the woman behind the counter smiled.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" She asked. Steve offered a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um- I'm looking for an engagement ring," he said. Clint came up behind Steve and smiled.

"He's a bit nervous, as you can see," he stage-whispered. Steve punched him in the side, under the counter. Clint winced, a punch from a man laced with super-serum hurt. A lot. The woman smiled.

"Well congratulations, we have a selection of rings to offer. She slid a drawer open to reveal rows of sparkling bands. Steve examined them and Clint stood back.

"Let me know when you've chosen one. Take your time!" She chirped and moved to help another customer.

Fifteen minutes later, Steve had asked Clint's consensus on two of the rings.

"It's your decision Steve," he said. Steve sighed and squinted down at the two choices.

"This one, definitely this one," he decided. Clint nodded and was about to call the woman over when Steve stopped him

"Wait," he said, biting his lip.

"What?"  
"What if she doesn't like it, Clint? What if she doesn't like it?!" He stuttered. Clint patted his shoulder.

"Steve, panicking again, just a bit. She'll love whatever you choose. Darcy isn't _that_ judgmental, she's not one of those people. The woman carries a taser gun around in her purse. To be fair, she did mistake Thor as a mental patient when she first met him," Clint remarked. Steve glared.

"First of all, she _will_ taser you for calling her "woman", two, we all thought Thor was nuts when we first met him, and three, Jane hit him with her car. _I _would be mad!" Clint rolled his eyes and called the woman over.

"You'll be fine," he reassured him.

"See, that wasn't so bad!" Clint commented as they walked out. He suddenly paled as he remembered he'd left Tony alone at the tower with his daughter.

"Oh shit, I left Ana at home with Tony!" He yelped as Steve hailed a cab.

"YOU WHAT?"

"I know, now c'mon!"

"No you go first, I'll follow," Steve told him as the cab pulled up. "Oh, and Clint, one more thing?"

"What?" Clint asked.

"What if she doesn't like it?" Clint face-palmed and slid into the cab.

"Stark Tower, and please hurry," he told the cabbie paying him ahead of time.

Steve watched as the cab peeled away from the curb. He sighed.

_'She'll like it, I know she will,'_ he thought to himself. _'I hope.'_

**A/N: So what did you think? I didn't feel like pairing Steve and Maria together so I went with Steve and Darcy. I don't know how people feel about that, please let me know! I'm open to constructive criticism, but please no hate. Don't forget to review!**

**-May :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello everyone! Yeah, I know this is a bit late, and it's the last day of the year but, HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**-May :)**

Chapter Six

"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Tony bellowed over the PA system. It was officially Christmas and Ana's first one at that. He wanted to make sure no one forgot what day it was, and to do that, he would wake each and every one of them up with a select Christmas carol. They had gone out and picked a tree last week; a big bushy pine about seven feet high, and it wasn't too prickly. It now stood in the communal floor, bedecked with orbs, tinsel and baubles. On top of it all stood a glowing star, its sharp point nearly killing Steve the week before. Everyone in the tower was excited but no one as much as Tony. He pranced down the hallway and stopped in front of Clint and Natasha's room.

"OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE-," he was cut off by a very angry Natasha who was pointing pistol at his face.

"Finish the song and you are going to be getting a lot more than a Christmas tree shoved up your ass," she threatened. Tony gulped and stepped back.

"Now Widow, it's Christmas! No need for any, um, unnecessary violence. Why don't you put the gun away and we all go downstairs?" He stammered. Natasha pocketed the weapon and nodded curtly.

"We'll be down in ten minutes, Merry Christmas!" She told him before slamming the door in his face. He sighed in relief; Tony didn't need his headstone to read: _Tony Stark; Born May 29, 1970; Died December 25, 2013_. More importantly, if he was to go, he wanted to go in dignity. Not in Iron Man pajamas and a Santa hat.

_'Why was she so pissed off? Maybe I overdid it?' _He thought uneasily. He shrugged it off and ran downstairs where to his surprise; the other avengers were already…assembled.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He screamed and was met with a chorus of response. Bruce busied himself with making breakfast and Thor foraged through the cupboard for PopTarts. Steve approached Tony.

"Clint said you knew. When do you think Darcy's going to get here?" He whispered. Tony winked.

"All in good time, don't worry, you'll be fine," he said. Steve didn't look so sure, but hastened to help the others. Tony was setting the table when Pepper, Clint, Natasha and Ana made an appearance.

"Hey Pep," Tony greeted giving her a kiss. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas guys!" The newcomers greeted. They were interrupted by the sound of the elevator opening. Coulson, Fury, Maria, Jane and Darcy stepped out. Christmas greetings were exchanged and they placed their packages under the tree.

"Hey!" Steve greeted Darcy with a brilliant smile on his face.

"Hey to you too," she replied pecking him on the lips.

"Thor!" Jane said spotting the Asgardian. He beamed and made a beeline for her, where he promptly swept her into his arms. Natasha leaned against Clint's shoulder and he kissed her forehead.

"What's up?" He asked, worried she was still shaken up from their earlier conversation. She shook her head slightly.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see everyone together," she admitted. He laughed and nodded.

"PICTURE!" Tony screamed disrupting the chatter. Everyone glared at him. "What? Don't look at me like that, it's my goddaughter's first Christmas!" They sighed and gathered in front of the tree.

"Smile!" And the camera flashed a brilliant white.

"You blinked!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did, I've got the proof, look!"

"Yeah, well so what? You were looking in the complete opposite direction!"

"STOP! We'll just take another one!" Natasha yelled breaking up the argument between Tony and Clint.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Such children," she muttered. Natasha sniggered and pressed the button. It had to be said, it was a pretty nice picture

"The Iron Man wrapped ones are from me!" Tony clarified.

"Yeah, we could tell," Clint replied sarcastically. They opened their respective gifts and found that he had given each person the latest StarkPhone.

"Oh cool, I've been wanting one of these!" Darcy cooed. Tony looked confused.

"You know, you could've just called and I'd have given one to you," he told her. She arched an eyebrow.

"Would you really?" She asked. Tony looked sheepish.

"Yeah! Well, since it was your Christmas present, probably not," he admitted.

"I thought so," she said smirking. Steve laughed and draped an arm around her shoulders.

The presents kept coming, although they had more variety than Tony's. Thor had brought each person an Asgardian object and a book for Ana.

"It contains many Asgardian fables and legends. Mother used to read them to Loki and me when we were young," he explained, trying to hide the pain on his face. His relationship with his brother was delicate territory, one best left intact. Bruce bought them something that would interest the person it was intended for. That seemed to be the general thought of the team, because Clint, Natasha and Steve did the same. Jane and Darcy gave them knick-knacks from their travels, and the SHIELD operatives a.k.a. Fury, surprised everyone by giving something non-weapon, non-work related.

The floor was soon littered with wrapping paper and they were all sitting on the sectional. Ana was playing with the stuffed bunny Coulson and Fury had given her, and Natasha was busy piling the books, toys and other things Ana had gotten on the counter. Steve caught Clint's eye and the archer nodded. Steve rose from the couch and addressed the room.

"Um, guys can you please be quiet for a moment? I have something to say to Darcy," he yelled. Darcy looked up at him, curiosity lurking in those dark eyes. The people in the room quieted down. Steve pulled the ring box from his pocket and knelt down on one knee. Collected gasps rang out and Darcy clasped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my god," she breathed.

"Darcy Lewis, will you marry me?" Steve asked, hoping she wouldn't reject him. She nodded so hard the chestnut curls on her head shook.

"Hell yes!" She screeched and leaped up to wrap her arms around him. Steve breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, which became a heated snog. They broke apart when someone cleared their throat.

"Guys, there are children in the room!" Tony accused, a horrified look on his face.

Steve laughed, "Shut up Stark," before he pulled Darcy into a hug. Darcy scooped up Ana and spun her around. The little girl giggled and Darcy set her down in Natasha's lap. Jane smiled and tickled Ana from her spot next to Natasha. Thor laughed and Jane curled into the god's side.

"Now excuse us, but we have a reservation to keep," Steve said. Darcy's eyes widened.

"I'm in my pajamas!" She yelped. Steve surveyed her and Bruce grinned at her selection.

"Yes, and they're very nice," he complimented her on her Captain America pajamas. She blushed and scurried into the bathroom. Moments later she emerged, fully dressed. She adjusted her beanie and smiled.

"How did you change so fast?" Steve gaped. Clint produced his Starkpad and displayed it for all to see.

_'Witchcraft!' _It read. Natasha punched him in the arm.

"Not now," she hissed. Darcy beamed and tossed her taser gun to Jane.

"Take my gun Jane, I'm not going to need it!" Darcy said pulling Steve towards the elevator.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Tony called after them as the doors slid shut.

"Is this thing even on?" Jane asked examining the gun. Her finger slipped and the trigger pulled. Across the room, Fury collapsed, hit by the sudden jet of icy blue light.

"Oh my gosh!" Jane gasped. Clint, Maria and Tony were laughing their heads off, Bruce and Pepper were snickering and Thor and Coulson merely smiled. Natasha grinned as she patted Jane on the shoulder whilst adjusting Ana's position.

"Jane, let me let you in on a secret. Guns don't have on-off switches," she told her before bursting into peals of laughter.


End file.
